Building HO Scale SA Style Signals

Started by DACS, February 03, 2019, 06:31:52 PM

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DACS

#15
Mounting the ladder alignment piece to the main jig.  Mounting may be the wrong word to use here, as this piece is removable.  It is not glued to the jig.
The rails that I am indicating are actually, for alignment and placement.





These pieces are required to place the ladder channel in it's proper place.

2 pieces of strip wood 1/8" x 1/16" x 1 5/32" length.
1 piece of plastruct flat stock 39/64" x 1/4" x 1/32".
1 piece strip wood 1 9/16" x 1/8" x 1/64"
and of course, the ladder placement jig.

To begin with, first place the plastruct piece in the platform alignment channel.




Then glue the first piece in place.  To locate it, it is exactly 9/16" in from the outside edge of the ply base.
Once you have this glued down, place the alignment piece up against it.  If you have aligned everything correctly, it will fit right over the number board piece.  Make sure it is butted up against the ring stop as you see in the picture.
Then using either the strip wood or the ladder stock.  Make sure they align just as you see in the pics.



If they do, then you are ready to glue the other guide piece on the opposite side of the ladder alignment jig.



I keep trying to post pic of the ladder stock, but it won't let me.  I realized I have already posted six pics.  I was really getting into it!  So, I have to start another reply.


Dave
Seattle




I am never having another birthday.  The candles for the cake are starting to cost too much!

DACS

#16
Here is the pic using the ladder stock.  If you want, you could also use a strip of brass stock measuring 1/8" x 1/16" x 1 3/16" in length.



Here are a few pics showing a complete signal in the jig, ready to be soldered together.  Just a teaser.  Just to let you see there is a purpose to all this madness.   But, this journey isn't over yet. 



Little blurry...sorry.  Should wear my glasses when using the camera.





The handrails need a little shortening.

That's it for now.  Now I have domestic chores that need to be done.

Dave
Seattle
I am never having another birthday.  The candles for the cake are starting to cost too much!

DACS

#17
We are getting quite deep into this at this point.  But, still a way to go before we can use all this to make the actual signals.  If there are any questions up to this point, please do not hesitate to ask.  I will plead the 5th...NAH!
All this has been built straight out of my head. Build as I go.

I am going to take a slight detour here, away from this part of the build, and go to a different part.  Breaks up the monotony.

Next up is the mast drilling jig.  This piece is all brass.

This is the little jewell.



To build this we need the following:

3/32" square brass tubing
1/16" round brass tubing
1/16" aluminum tubing
0.15 brass shim stock  (cut a 1/4"" strip from this.

First cut a piece of the shim stock to a length of 1/2".  Then measure up from one end 1/4" and make a sharp 90 degree bend.  You will notice that mine ain't.  Had to remake.



Cut another piece to a length of 5"16"



Cut a piece of the round brass 1/16" tubing, to length of 1/4".



Last piece to cut is the piece of square brass tubing to a length of 1/34".



Now on to assembly.

First take the square tubing and Drill a 1/16" hole in the one side only, at 3/8" from one end.   Make sure you do a little center punch here, or that 1/16"  bit will try to walk all over the place.  Go into the end you just drilled with a 1/16" drill bit.  This is to clean out any burrs.
Next, you will place the 90 degree brass piece on the end with the hole and solder to the square tubing. Make sure you keep the piece up very tight aginst the end.  This becomes the mast stop. Then solder the other piece about 1/4"  on the opposite end.



Ok, just noticed that makes 6 pics.  Again have to go out and start all over.

Dave
Seattle

I am never having another birthday.  The candles for the cake are starting to cost too much!

DACS

#18
Now to take up where I left off.  Next we will solder the 1/4" piece of 1/16" tubing into place.  To do this, slide the aluminum tubing all the way into the square tube to the stop.  This stops any solder from mucking up the inside.  Place the small piece of tubing into the hole and solder it into place.  Keep this tube square.  Once this is done, remove the aluminum tube and "voila", you mast jig is done.

To use this little indispensable little gem, you will slide a mast piece into the jig all the way to the way to the stop.  I cut my masts at a length of 2 7/8".  This is my choice.  If you want yours longer, that works too.



Hold the tubing in place and drill your 1/32" hole.  Drill it in one side of the mast only.



Remove the mast piece and there it is. A nice neat hole!  Try drilling that without the jig!  Nigh on to impossible!



Next, using a jewellers file, file the hole at a downward angle.  This angle will help a whole bunch when pushing the wires down into the mast. 

Not trying to insult your intelligence, but,  BE VERY CAREFULL HERE.  THAT FILE IS SHARP.  SLIP AND IT HURTS!!!   The voice of experience speaks.



Once this is done, run your 1/32" bit down the inside of the mast.  This will clean up any burrs that are left behind.
You will also want to do the same thing to the bottom end of the mast as from cutting the tube leaves sharp edges inside.



Next, just run a piece of 1/32" brass rod up and down the entire length of your mast tube.  This is to clean out any residue.



Ok, that pretty much is the end of this stage of the build.

Next, we will begin with the head jig.  This is a very intricate looking piece.  But it is not hard to build at all.  I am not taking this up today.  Probably not until my next weekend.

But here are some pics the piece.  Just to give you an idea of what's coming up.  I just rebuilt this piece with some new additions.  I guess the journey isn't over yet! ;D ;D ;D







I do so hope I have made this thread so far a little more clear than mud.  Please, do not hesitate to ask any questions.  I am fallible and do make mistakes.
So, until we meet again...next week...

I also am asking.  Is there any real interest is this thread?  Not many views or comments.  I don't want to be taking up space for something no one really wants to see.

Dave
Seattle
I am never having another birthday.  The candles for the cake are starting to cost too much!

DACS

I retreated from this thread because of two reasons.  1. There did not seem to be much interest. 2. I needed to redesign the front part of the jig.  I wanted to be able to build many different signal variations without building jigs for each style.

Here are the three styles I can now build on the same jig.  They are:

1. intermediate
2. crossing interlocking
3. passing siding interlocking


I am never having another birthday.  The candles for the cake are starting to cost too much!

PRR Modeler

Curt Webb
The Late Great Pennsylvania Railroad
Freelanced PRR Bellevue Subdivision

jbvb

On RRs using NORAC operating rules (and many of their predecessors), signals with two staggered heads are Automatic Block signals.  The second head allows more aspects (Approach Medium, for instance) but they must be staggered to distinguish them from interlocking signals.
James

DACS

#22
   Thanks for the input guys.
   The layout I am building these signals for, is going to be very large.  All the signaling will be fully "Automatic Block Signaling".  They will all be "absolute.  Passing sidings will have permissive. They will also have manual overrides when it's required.  The entire layout will be either run by a dedicated computer or dispatch panel.
   The top signal is an intermediate or home signal.  All home signals will have a cabinet as it's base.  The middle signal is for all rail intersections.  The top head is always distant on all four heads.  The lower head is for "east, west, north south."
   The third signal with staggered heads are "Absolute/permissive."  When a train is to take the siding, the upper head will be green and the lower will be yellow.  This indicates speed restrictions.  Under main line upper will be green lower will be dark.  If the upper of course is red and the lower dark, then this indicates the next block is occupied. Green or yellow, green being not restrictive, yellow restrictive.  Again, the entire system is "Absolute/restrictive."
   The owner and myself are both freelance model railroaders.  This is the system that we have agreed upon.  It may not be prototypical in the strictest sense.  But it will sure be fun to watch it all work.
   The entire railroad is to be on a dedicated computer.  It can also all be overriden manually or by local panels.

Dave
I am never having another birthday.  The candles for the cake are starting to cost too much!

DACS

It passes the test...

I am never having another birthday.  The candles for the cake are starting to cost too much!

MAP

Very nice work Dave.  Thanks for sharing your techniques on building the signals.  Hopefully you'll share some pics when they get mounted on the layout.
Mark

GPdemayo

Gregory P. DeMayo
General Construction Superintendent Emeritus
St. Louis & Denver Railroad
Longwood, FL

DACS

Thank you for the drop in and the comments Gregory and Mark.  They are much appreciated.

Dave
Seattle
I am never having another birthday.  The candles for the cake are starting to cost too much!

Jim Donovan

Very interesting and informative. Thanks for taking the time to detail how and why. A lot of work but they sure look worth it. Looking forward to seeing pictures of them on your layout.

Jim D
Holland & Odessa Railroad

Jerry

Nice tutorial. Very impressive build.

Jerry
"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." A. Lincoln

S&S RR

Very nice work! Thank you for sharing this build with us - it is very informative. I also look forward to seeing pictures of them on your layout.
John Siekirk
Superior & Seattle Railroad

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